Independent designer Alex Hodge has released new renderings that show a possible look for the future Mazda RX-9 flagship model

Independent designer Alex Hodge has released new renderings that show a possible look for the future Mazda RX-9 flagship model.

New Zealand-based industrial designer explains that this project could use a mid-mounted rotary engine, most likely the rumored future hybrid rotary system of the Japanese manufacturer. He also says the vehicle is designed as a homage to the popular RX7, “taking the same aesthetic and combining it with Mazda's Kodo design language”.

If we were to believe Motoring.com.au, the sports car is already in the works and will be released in 2020 to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary. But before that, probably in 2017, a new-rotary powered RX-7 is expected as a celebration of the Mazda Cosmo's 50th anniversary, the firm's first car to get a rotary engine. Both vehicles will be designed with a focus on the lightweight construction not only to improve the car's performances but also to cut CO2 emissions.